Press and feeder for press



Oct. 15, 1968 1.. F. REMINGTON PRESS AND FEEDER FOR PRESS 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 1, 1967 mom Oct. 15, 1968 F. REMINGTON PRESS AND FEEDER FOR PRESS 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 1, 1967 Oct. 15, 1968 L. F. REMINGTON 3,405,933

PRESS AND FEEDER FOR PRESS Filed Feb. 1, 1967 6 Sheets-Sheet I5 I/ mm W Oct. 15, 1968 1.. F. REMINGTON 3,405,933

PRESS AND FEEDER FOR PRESS Filed Feb. 1, 1967 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 HILB By E /A /VE/V70R mwwmfhm 1953 L. F. REMINGTON 3,405,933

PRESS AND FEEDER FOR PRESS Filed Feb. 1, 1967 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIE] United States Patent 3,405,933 iRESS AND FEEDER FOR PRESS Leonard F. Remington, Franklin, Mass, assignor to Thomson National Press Company, Inc., Franklin, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Feb. 1, 1967, Ser. No. 613,218 9 Claims. (Cl. 2713) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A stream feed table mechanism for feeding sheets successively to a rotating triangular table. The sheets are secured to the edge of the table by clamps which are actuated by cyclical arcuate movement of the table mechanism. The table intermittently rotates to move the sheets into a press having a. horizontal platen supported on three points, one of which is coaxial with the rotating table.

Background of invention The present invention relates to a press and mechanism for feeding such a press, and more particularly to a press for embossing, roll leaf stamping, cutting and creasing with means for stream feeding sheets to the press.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a press capable of processing a wide variety of different sized sheets fed to the press in a rapid stream-like succession. The present invention is designed for high speed operation capable of handling sheets of up to approximately 44" x 66" at a rate of between approximately 2,000 to 6,000 impressions per hour.

A further object of the invention is to provide a press for efficiently embossing, stamping, cutting and creasing sheets.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a rugged press of simplified design that is capable of being repaired simply and efficiently. It is also an object of this invention to provide a press which is relatively inexpensive, smaller, lighter, faster, and more fool-proof with fewer moving parts than comparable machines designed to provide the same type of processing.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a simplified method for setting up various sized sheets for impression. The machine is designed so that all setups for various sized sheets are fed to a deadline. All sized sheets are registered to the same deadline bottom and side guide positions.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide an improved feeding mechanism in the form of a feeding frame as distinguished from a chain grip or bar feed so as to minimize the number of feeding stations required, improve accuracy, and reduce the weight, construction costs and maintenance requirements.

It is also anobject of the present invention to provide a machine design which is safe and which is capable of operating at relatively low noise levels.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved press construction which is capable of handling very thin sheet material fed to the press for impression in a very rapidly fed stream.

Summary of invention The invention relates to an improved press construction which includes an intermittently operated rotating sheet engaging member that is adapted to successively arcuately move sheets between male and female platens.

Brief description of drawings These and other objects and advantages of the present 3,405,933 Patented Oct. 15, 1968 invention will be more clearly understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a feed mechanism and press made in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the feed mechanism and press of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged detail of a component of the mechanism of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged detail of further components of the mechanism of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional elevation of a detail of a press and drive therefor;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the detail shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a perspective partially exploded view of the press illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a view of the components of FIG. 3 looking upwardly; and

FIG. 9 is a view of the components of FIG. 3 shown in relation to other components with which they interact.

Description of preferred embodiment Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2 there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of the present invention which comprises essentially a stream feed mechanism 1 designed to feed up to approximately 6,000 sheets per hour for impression from a continuous operating loading source. This stream feeder is designed to be used in conjunction with a three post vertical press generally indicated at 2. The press 2 is designed to successively remove each leading sheet from a deadline and move it horizontally over an are through successive stations for imprinting or impressing or cutting and creasing and delivery. The stream feeder 1 comprises a frame 3 having suitable vertical supports and cross braces 4 and 5A for supporting a pivotable frame 5. The pivotable frame 5 is formed with side members 6 and cross braces 7. The pivotable frame is hinged at its rear end on a shaft 7 in turn suitably supported by a journal 8 supported on the frame 3. Also supported for rotation on the shaft 7 is a rear roll 9. A forward shaft 10 is journaled at its ends in journals at the forward end of the pivotable frame 5. This shaft 10 supports a roller 11 for rotation.

The shaft 7 has mounted on it a sprocket about which chain 12 extends. The chain also extends about a double sprocket 13 supported for rotation on a shaft in turn secured to the frame 3. The other half of the double sprocket 13 is engaged by a chain 14 which in turn engages a double sprocket 15 mounted at the forward end of the frame 3. The other half of the double sprocket 15 engages a chain 16 which in turn engages a sprocket 17 connected to a power source 18 described more fully hereafter. Rolls 9 and 11 support a plurality of webs of. belts 19. These belts 19 are adapted to be rotated by the rolls 9 and 11 with the upper surfaces of the belts 19 moving forwardly over a platform 20. Platform 20 in turn is supported by brackets 21 on the pivotable frame 5. This frame in turn is supported for rotation at its rear end about the shaft 7. The forward end of the pivotable frame 5 carries with it a projecting lever arm 22 having a forward engaging tip 23 that lies in a plane just below the upper surface of the belts 19. Extending forwardly from the pivotable frame 5 is an extension 20A of platform 20. This extension 20A extends the width of platform 20 and is positioned immediately forward of roll 11. It is supported on a bracket 20B with the upper surface of the extension 20A inclined slightly upwardly about 5 to 10 so that the leading sheet carried forwardly on this stream feeder moves slightly upwardly after it passes over the forward roll 11. Sheets are fed successively down the stream feeder 1 from a conventional and suitable feed mechanism 24. This feed mechanism may be of any conventional design capable of successively feeding sheets at selected time intervals into a stream for forward movement by belts 19.

The frame 5 is cyclically and reciprocally rotated over an arc of a few degrees about shaft 7 by cam means generally indicated at 25. These cam means include a cam 26 fixed to shaft 27 on which is also mounted the double sprocket 15. Cam 26 in turn engages a cam follower 28 which is suitably secured by a bracket or other means to the forward lower edge of the pivotal frame 5. Thus the reciprocating movement of the frame 5 and movement of belts 19 are synchronized from a common power source.

Sheets are fed to the press 2 in succession. This press includes a rotatable table 30 (FIG. 2) which in this preferred embodiment has three sides 31, 32 and 33. In other embodiments more than three sides may be incorporated into the device. The table is mounted for rotation in stepped sequence by power supplied through a standard roller gear index drive 18 (FIGS. 1 and 2) capable of intermittent start and stop motion of 100 per minute. A suitable roller gear index drive is known as a Ferguson Roller Worm Drive. This roller worm drive 18 is provided with vertical output shaft 35 having a gear 36 mounted on it. The gear meshes with driven gear 37 in turn keyed to a vertically extending outer sleeve 38B (FIG. 7). Sleeve 38B in turn has a coaxial inner sleeve 38A keyed to it so as to rotate with the outer sleeve 38B, but is free to move vertically over a limited distance of about one inch. This inner sleeve 38A is secured to table 30 by suitable means. A shaft 38 extends vertically through inner sleeve 38A. The roller worm drive 18 is designed to rotate the table 30 so that its sides 31, 32 and 33 are successively moved into register with the end of the stream feeder 1 as is illustrated by the position of side 31 in FIG. 2. The sides are then successively moved into register with the press 2 and from that position after the impressing operation to a delivery station 40.

The leading sheet carried down the stream feeder 1 is engaged by clamping mechanisms, best illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, when it reaches a deadline at the forward end of the extension 20A at points defined by the clamping mechanisms themselves. These clamping mechanisms maintain forward and side register with the side register preferably located at the leading edge of the paper as it is rotated about sleeve 38B. The engaging or clamping mechanism on each of the sides 31, 32 and 33 is of the same construction and design. Therefore, only one such engaging or clamping mechanism will be described. Se-

cured to the lower surface of the table 30 in normal alignment with side edge 31 is an air valve 41. This air valve 41 is of conventional air valve design and is adapted to admit air from a compressed air source to an air cylinder or the like. Actuation of the valve is controlled by a lever mechanism 42. This lever mechanism 42 comprises a lever arm 43 pivotally engaged with a shaft 44 which extends into the valve 41 to selectively open the valve ports. A cam follower 45 is positioned at the lower end of the lever 43. Secured to and extending normal from the lever 43 is a second lever 46 having a cam follower 47 rotatably supported on its axis by lever 46. The cam follower 47 is positioned to be engaged by the lever arm tip 23 as the lever 22 is cyclically moved upwardly through operation of the cam 26 when the table edge 31 is aligned with the end of the stream feeder. Thus as the stream feeder pivotable frame 5 moves upwardly the tip 23 of lever arm 22 trips the valve 41 by engaging cam follower 47. This in turn admits air to air cylinder 50 which is connected to a compressed air source through the valve 41. Shaft 51 of the air cylinder 50 is pivotably connected to a link 52 in turn connected to a rotatable shaft 53. The rotatable shaft 53 is suitably mounted on journals 54 which in turn are supported parallel to the edge or side 31 of the table along its lower surface. A plurality of grippers 55 are suitably clamped at spaced intervals to the shaft 53 and are adapted to be rotated on rotation of the shaft into clamping engagement with the forward lower surface 57 of the table 30. The cylinder 50 is supported on the lower surface of the table 30 by pin 58 in turn joumaled in a bracket 59 which is screwed or otherwise secured to the lower surface of the table 30.

The shaft 53 is interengaged with shaft 60 through gears 61 and 62 secured respectively to the ends of the shafts 53 and '60 (FIG. 2). Shaft 60 in turn is journaled beneath a side gripper frame 65. This side gripper frame 65 comprises projections suitably and rigidly secured to one each of the three corners of the table at the leading end of each side with respect to the direction'of rotation of the table. Mounted on the shaft 60 is a gripper or clamp 66 that is adapted to be rotated with the shaft 60 into engagement with the undersurface of the side gripper frame 65.

Thus on movement of a sheet down the stream feeder 1 it is engaged by the gripping or clamping mechanism when it reaches the forward end of the stream feeder after it has been registered into correct position by a conventional registering mechanism. At this position the reciprocal or pivotal movement of the stream feeder causes the lever tip 23 to actuate the valve 41 in turn causing air to be admitted to the air cylinders 50. This in turn causes rotation of the shafts 53 and 60, then rotate upwardly, engaging the forward and side edges of the leading sheet to clamp it against the undersurface of side 31 and the undersurface of side gripper frame 65 thereby securely engaging the leading sheet for subsequent rotation about the shaft 38 on movement of the table 30.

The press best illustrated in FIG. 7 comprises a head or anvil positioned above a platen 81 supported on a base 82. The press is generally assembled on three shafts 38, 84 and 85. Shaft 38 is symmetrically located with respect to the longitudinal axis of the stream feeder 1 and is the shaft that extends through and is coaxial with table 30. Shaft 38 extends through and between lower journal support 87 and upper journal support 88 with the sleeves 38A and 38B positioned about a lower journal support 87 and below an upper journal support 88. The roller worm gear 18 may be suitably supported on a platform 18A in turn welded or otherwise secured to the base of the press 2. The sides 31, 32 and 33 of the table 30 are adapted to be successively moved between the upper surface of platen 81 and the lower surface of the anvil 80 in a space generally indicated at 89. The platen 81 and anvil 80 preferably have rectangular shapes with the supporting shafts 84 and positioned on the two outer corners of this rectangular shape. The table 30 is provided with a plurality of register holes 90 that are designed to be aligned with register pins 91 carried in the platen 81. These register pins 91 are designed to move upwardly with the platen through the register holes 90 on each upward actuation of the platen 81. The platen 81 may be moved upwardly into impressing engagement with the sheet positioned between the platen and anvil by any suitable mechanism contained within the base 82 of the press. This type of mechanism may be of the type generally illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 and may be suitably driven from a main drive source. The shaft is connected to an opposed double worm drive 101 within the base of the press 2. This double worm drive 101 is suitably supported in journals 102. A worm wheel 103 is suitably supported for engagement with each of the worm sections 104 of the opposed double worm drive 101. Each of the worm wheels 103 is secured to and rotates a cam shaft 105. These cam shafts in turn each have eccentrically mounted on them connecting rods 107 and 108. The cam shafts 105 are in turn suitably supported in journals 109 mounted within the press 102. The connecting rods 107 may be suitably secured by bolts or other conventional means to the cam shaft 105. The upper ends of the connecting rods 107 and 108 are in turn mounted on and secured to pins 112 suitably secured to the lower surface of platen 81. The adjustment for the amount of space 89 (FIG. 7) between anvil 80 and platen 81 is made by moving wedge 113 (FIG. 6).

After a sheet has been suitably impressed in the press 2 it is carried to delivery station where the clamps 55 and 66 are released from engagement with the sheet and the sheet is allowed to fall downwardly by the force of gravity into the delivery station or stripping station. The clamps may be released at a selected position by any suitable means such as illustrated in FIG. 9. In this arrangement valve 41 is opened to allow the air to escape from air cylinder 50. This is accomplished by engaging cam follower 45 and pushing it in a direction opposite to that in which air was admitted for engagement of the clamps and 66. The cam follower 45 may be engaged in this manner by lever arm 70. Lever arm is mounted on a rotatable shaft 71 which is journaled for reciprocal rotational movement in suitable supported journals 72. The lower end of the shaft 71 is fixed to an arm 73 with the end of the arm 73 pivotally engaged by link 74 to the lower end of lever 75. Lever 75 is journaled on pin 76 in turn supported on the frame 4 of the stream feeder. The upper end of lever 75 is provided with a detent engaging head 78 which is adapted to be engaged by detent 79 carried by the forward end of the pivotable frame 5. The lower end of the lever 75 is engaged by a spring 80 which normally tensions the upper end into engagement with the detent 79. Thus on cyclical upward movement of pivotable frame 5 the detent 79 moves lever 75 against the tension of spring 80 causing rotational movement of the shaft 71 through the link 74 with subsequent engagement of the lever arm 70 with cam follower 45.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A press having a horizontal platen and anvil with said anvil and platen supported in aligned vertical relation by a plurality of support means,

rotatable means for successively feeding horizontally oriented sheets between said platen and anvil for impression, said rotatable means comprising a multistation table having a plurality of edges with each edge having clamping means adapted to engage and horizontally secure one edge of a sheet normal to a radius of said rotatable means,

means supporting said rotatable means for rotation in a horizontal plane about a vertical axis, and

means for intermittent, vertical movement of said multistation table.

2. A press as set forth in claim 1 having at least three sets of said clamping means with each adapted to move sequentially and in intermittent cyclical movement to a sheet receiving station, to said anvil and platen and to a sheet delivery station.

3. A press as set forth in claim 2 having means for intermittent vertical movement of said multistation table, and said clamping means includes means for engaging two edges of a sheet as said sheet is intermittently moved.

4. A press as set forth in claim 1 including a sheetfeeding station past which said clamping means are rotated, including means for stream-feeding sheets successively to each clamping means as each clamping means is rotated to said sheet-feeding station, said stream-feeding means including endless belt means for carrying a plurality of said sheets toward said sheet-feeding station, frame means supporting said belt means with said frame, means pivotally supported on an axis normal to the direction of movement of said sheets and remote from said sheet-receiving station, means for reciprocating said frame means about said pivotal support in synchronized relation to rotational movement of said table whereby said sheets are engaged by said clamping means at said sheet-feeding station.

5. A press having a horizontal platen and anvil with said anvil and platen supported in aligned vertical relation by a plurality of support means,

rotatable means for successively feeding horizontally oriented sheets between said platen and anvil for impression,

means supporting said rotatable means for intermittent rotation in a horizontal plane about a vertical axis extending through one of said support means, cyclically through a sheet-feeding station, to said anvil and platen and to a sheet delivery station, and

means for successively interengaging the leadmost sheet in said stream with said rotatable means at said sheetfeeding station.

6. A press as set forth in claim 5 wherein said rotatable means comprises a multistation table having at least three edges with each edge having clamping means for engaging and receiving sheets delivered by said stream feed means, and said clamping means comprising clamps for engaging a plurality of sides of said sheets.

7. A press as set forth in claim 6 wherein said stream feed means comprises an endless belt means for carrying sheets in one direction, frame means supporting said belt means with said frame means pivotally supported on an axis normal to the direction of movement of said sheets and remote from said sheet receiving station, means for reciprocating said frame means about said pivotal support in synchronized relation to rotational movement of said table, means secured at least in part by said frame means for actuating said clamping means at said sheet receiving station on said reciprocation of said sheet means.

8. A press as set forth in claim 7 wherein said table is supported to vertical movement and means for vertically moving said table.

9. A press as set forth in claim 5 wherein said rotatable means comprises a multistation table having at least three edges with each edge having clamping means for engaging and receiving sheets delivered by said streamfeed means, and said clamping means comprising clamps for engaging said sheets at least along sides thereof parallel to the direction of movement of said stream feed.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 11/1931 Shacklett RICHARD E. AEGERTER, Primary Examiner. 

